zanq

I'm hoping to get some help from the community. I've grown tired of playing the swap-a-light game, so I'm looking for an additional light set. I have 2 bikes that I switch back and forth and only 1 set of older Dinotte lights (a 200 and a 140....I think). Due to the nature of family life, my available windows to get on the bike are limited, so when the wife says I'm good....I want to be able to grab a bike and go. I don't want to be fiddling with lights, battery packs, mounts, etc. when I'm losing daylight. I'm looking at lights that are more self-contained (no cables, no remote battery packs), easy to charge (USB), and bright enough "to see". I usually ride wooded gravel roads in the early evening, so it can be pretty dark by the time I'm back to the garage. I'm not set on Lezyne so I'm open to other makes/models, but I'm looking at these examples:

Front

• https://ride.lezyne.com/collections/...e-pro-600-plus (a number of multiple-LED models from 500-1400+ lumen)....or...
• https://ride.lezyne.com/collections/...drive-500-plus

Beside output, I'm guessing the biggest difference between multiple-LED and single-LED is flood versus spot light?

Rear

• https://ride.lezyne.com/collections/...-400-plus-rear (there is a 200 lumen, but the 400+ has a larger battery)

Is there any experience, good or bad, around these? I believe my current Dinotte front light is a 200L or less, so anything above is a step up.

Thanks!

cuevélo

What are your two different bikes? Would you be willing to assign one of them to "need to see" lights? If so, I think you'd be much happier with dynamo lighting. No need to think about charging, and the lights tend to put out a much more even beam.

zanq

I'm not interested in doing a dynamo hub (already have a nice wheelset), but if something like this is a viable option, I would consider it....a modern rim dynamo:

Product information dynamo - VELOGICAL

tempocyclist

I've never had an issue with Lezyne lights or any Lezyne product for that matter.

I had an older Lezyne 1200XXL (I think) that lasted around eight years before packing it in earlier this year. I replaced it with a newer similar model. It looks a lot like your first link.

John Valuk

I am a big fan of Fenix lights (bike lights, flashlights, headlamps, lanterns) that use standard, easily-replaceable Li-Ion batteries. My BC30 V2.0 is fairly heavy, but that includes the pair of 18650 batteries that give it significant capacity in a self-contained package. The output levels, beam pattern, and UI work well for me. It does not have any provision for charging the batteries inside the light, but they live in a battery tray that pops out quickly and easily.

If I wanted something more compact, or wanted to mount it upside-down underneath some sort of out-front mount, then I might look at their BC26R (single 21700 battery) or BC21R V3.0 (single 18650 battery).

chaadster

Lezyne are great lights in my experience. I have many; MicroDrive, Femtos, Zectos, KTVs, and StripDrive. None have ever failed, and some are over 10 years old. My Zecto rear did go wonky after I mounted it upside down and caught in a rainstorm, but it eventually dried out and after some charging cycles, is back to normal.

Anyway, Lezyne are reliable and among the best I’ve used— e.g. as good reliability as Specialized lights, way better reliability than Knog, better than Cygolite mounts— and I would recommend them.

Aside from the KTV front and rear pair, runtimes for my Lezynes have been as expected according to specs, and ample. I don’t have any that are less than 5 years old, though, but it’s reasonable to expect new ones are better/improved.

For riding dirt roads, I’d think that 600 lumens at max is plenty; the nice thing is that most of these lights, if not all, have multiple modes so that you can use a low flash when starting your ride while it’s light, and bump up to solid at increasing levels of brightness as darkness and the road demand.

as an aside, I’m a fan of Lezyne’s mini and floor pumps, too, so that makes them one of my favorite, if not the favorite, accessories brand!

Troul 

The deal breaker is the rubber strap.
I'm not a fan of trusting that with the road rumblings.

pdlamb

My biggest problem with battery powered lights has always been, "are the batteries ready to go?" IME, if I try to grab and go late in the afternoon or evening, the answer is "maybe" at best. OP doesn't want to do dyno lights (for which the answer is "Sure!"), so will need to spend some time mid-day making sure rechargeable lights are topped up -- just in case.

RB1-luvr

the Fusion 600 that the OP posted looks nice. I want one.

I have an old Lezyne that uses a remote battery. I bought it from a friend. It is very nice quality, and still works as intended.

zanq

I'm not fully opposed to dynamo lights, just not a dynamo hub since I'm not interested in buying or rebuilding a wheel and thought rim dynamos died a long time ago. Seems that I was wrong about that so I'm trying to get more info around the company I linked above. They claim to have better output over a SON hub. Overall, it would be a pricier setup so I would have to weigh the numbers, but management of batteries would be eliminated.

blacknbluebikes 

Another fan of Lezyne. Rubber straps show zero wear or defect in many years, so I don't consider that an issue. My next purchase will probably be another rear zecto to replace the 8 yr old model I have, doesn't hold a charge very long anymore (good for 2 rides). Front is XL800 (discontinued) which has exceeded expectations.

t2p

we have Lezyne and Knog lights - good experience with both

Knog Blinder front light is worth a look - lightweight, bright, mounts easy, fairly inexpensive

( Blinder 400 cost around $50 shipped and weighs just 70 grams )

we have the Blinder 400 - I believe there is also a 600 model

Blinder 400 pictured on the Trek FX above

rob214

this. https://www.outboundlighting.com/col...ad-bike-lights

chaadster

I’ve been wanting one of those. I don’t need it— it’s way overkill for my needs and desires—but I want it, because it’s a seriously cool piece of kit!

canklecat

Outbound or NiteRider Lumina Dual 1800. I hardly use my single LED flashlight-type headlights anymore, other than as a backup for the Lumina Dual 1800 in case I'm out longer than 4-5 hours. On dark rural roads I'll use the single LED light on the right side of the handlebar to light up the roadside to watch for deer and other critters. The Lumina Dual 1800 beam is broad enough to cover a two lane road and some of the shoulders, but I like a little extra on the right side just to be safe.

Outbound and the NiteRider Lumina Dual 1800 have proper lenses and shaped beams that put all the effective light on the road instead of the sky and trees. It's comparable to a motorcycle headlight.

They're pricey but after riding three years with the Lumina Dual 1800 it's hard to settle for my various Light & Motion 500 and single LED Lumina Micro 850 (which is intended as a short duration commuter light and won't last an hour at full brightness). L&M used to sell some broad beam lights but they weren't as effective as the Outbound and Lumina Dual 1800. The L&M lacked a lens design to shape the beam effectively.

Occasionally I've mounted two single LED lights, one on either side of the stem, but it still isn't as effective.

zacster

I still swear by my dynamo setup with a Shimano 3N72 dynamo hub and a B&M CYO Premium. And I also still swear by my MagnicLight rear self contained dynamo light. The MagnicLight uses the eddy current generated by the rim passing near the magnets in the light, which then spin to power the light and totally contactless. They're always on and always ready to go so I never have to think about lights. The front light throws out a bright and wide beam with a cutoff so you don't blind anybody. It is the time of year where I used to start riding in the dark a lot more, but being retired I don't have much reason to do so anymore.

When I clicked on the link for the Velogical dynamo I thought at first it also used the eddy current but I see it is a modern version of the old bottle dynamos and makes contact. It could work well but I've never seen one.